#we don’t have time for that. peoples lives are at risk. jesus christ.

[therosevest]

this post had to turn off reblogs and stuff bc of all the people calling this biphobic. we’re literally in the worst timeline

[artiststarme]

Part 1 of a new thing I’m working on. It only gets juicier from here! I hope you guys enjoy it and if you have any name ideas, please send them my way.

~*~*~*~

Steve was confused most of the time, everyone knew it. Especially since his run-ins with the Upside Down, he never had any idea what was happening. From not sensing the obvious when everyone else grabbed a flashlight to missing blatant social cues, it wasn’t unusual for something to go over his head. And yet, sitting on the little Byers’ floor of his bedroom while Will paced around in front of him, ranting to the air, was the most befuddled Steve had ever been.

Of all of the kids, Steve was never very close to Will. He was the shyest of all the kids and he didn’t seem to need an older role model like Dustin or Max did. He already had Jonathan and his mom, two people that would risk their lives to save him so he never really needed Steve. Don’t get him wrong, Steve loved the kid. He just didn’t have a bond with him the same way he did with the other kids. Nonetheless, when Will asked him for a quick word as Mrs. Byers spoke to El and Jonathan said his goodbyes to Nancy, Steve followed him to his bare room without complaint. He didn’t know what he expected, maybe some advice about girls or hobbies or maybe just Will asking him to look out for the other kids. Something expected, something mundane. But that’s not what Steve received.

Will stopped stalking back and forth, took a deep breath and said, “I’m gay.”

He cringed as he said the words, immediately losing his confidence and breaking eye contact with Steve. And Steve just blinked.

“Okay… Is that all?”

He didn’t really know how to answer that. It didn’t really matter to him if Will liked other dudes and it certainly didn’t change the way he saw the kid. It was still confusing that Will was choosing to tell HIM of all people, he had no idea what about him made everyone want to come out to him with Will being the second person to do so in as many days. But regardless, there was nothing that the kids could do that would make Steve turn on him.

It may not have been the most tactful way of voicing his acceptance but Will felt a weight lifted despite it. He knelt down to give a thankful hug to Steve who returned his hug awkwardly.

“Thanks Steve, I knew out of everyone that you would understand.” Steve was about to ask why he of all people would understand but Will continued, “No one else knows yet, not even Mike and uh… I really like him, Steve.”

All thoughts left Steve’s mind as he automatically started insulting Will’s taste. “Mike? Mike Wheeler? What the hell, dude. I have no problem with you liking guys but Mike? Jesus Christ, he’s like the worst person you could choose. His attitude sucks, he’s got beady little eyes full of anger, and he’s kind of a douche.”

Will looked stuck somewhere between amused and offended. “But… he’s my best friend? He’s always been there and I, I think I love him a little bit. What do I do?”

Steve sighed and put a heavy hand on his shoulder, his bruised face grimacing in sympathy. “You’re young so you have plenty of time to fall for other guys. Move on. Trust me, you do not want to date a Wheeler. Especially Mike. My god, kid, have a little taste. I can understand Nancy but Mike? No way.”

“But, but you’re sure you’re okay with me… being gay. I like boys, not girls,” Will prodded.

“I know what it means, Byers. It doesn’t change anything. Liking boys doesn’t make you any different and you’re still another one of the runts to me, alright?” He ducked his head to meet Will’s eyes and only when he nodded did he put space between him. “Good. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to me. I’ll always be here if you need me.”

“Can I call you? After we move to California?” Will asked with trepidation.

“Hell yeah, I’ll be around. You can call me, El can call me, hell even Jonathan can call me if he wants.”

That last part got him a weird look in response. “... you want Jonathan to call you?”

“I mean, sure, if he wants to. He probably won’t because I’m no Nancy and we’re not really friends but it would be nice to have people calling,” Steve shrugged and ignored Will’s look of appall.

“I thought you wouldn’t like Jonathan because he stole your girlfriend.”

He frowned, “nah, there were other things wrong between Nance and I long before your brother came around. He’s pretty cool and he’s got an awesome little brother too, what’s not to like?”

Will smiled and they sat in silence for a few moments before Steve cleared his throat, said his last goodbyes, and made his way home. He slunk back to bed to sleep off the oncoming migraine and pain in his beaten face. Steve didn’t think much more about Will’s admission or their emotional conversation. Instead, he focused on the warm feeling in his chest that came with two people trusting him enough to be honest to him, to be themselves without fear around him. Robin and Will were the first people who trusted him with something important beyond reputation or popularity. It made him feel like he was finally doing something right, like he had finally moved past all of the King Steve bullshit and he’d never felt better about it.

[johnwickb1tsch]

bittersweet ~ a yandere!John Wick x fem!reader sunshine/grump coffee shop AU... Part 17 all chapters

WARNINGS: THE MOST YANDERE CHAPTER OF THIS YANDERE FIC YET. POSESSIVE BEHAVIOR, NSFW, SEXUAL CONTENT. PLZ TAKE CARE. I LUV U ALL.😘

-In the haze between sleep and waking, you are vaguely aware of strong arms wrapped around you, a lean and long body spooned at your back. You feel warm, and safe, and by some signal of scent or touch or cosmic connection from your hindbrain, somehow you just know that it’s Mr. Wick who has you folded up in his embrace. How perfectly you fit, with the curve of your backside tucked against his hips, your legs tangled under the covers.

Your Half Asleep Brain is totally fine with this cozy arrangement. You don’t really remember how you got here, but maybe something for once actually went right.

You let yourself doze.

But then he shifts against you, (that inevitable male hardness poking against your backside), and you wake up a little more, your faculties returning to you as the dreamy curtain of slumber slips away. You start to remember what happened before—the chase, and the murder—and Awake Brain is suddenly not ok with your current arrangement at all.  

Awake Brain is ready to freak the fuck out.

You stiffen in his arms, trying to sit up, but that inexorable grip tightens around you.

“Easy.”

You struggle, but he effortlessly pins you, wrapping a long leg around yours. Between his greater strength and solid weight pressing you down into the mattress, you are stuck. 

“Let me go,” you growl. 

“Not until we have a little talk.” 

Under different circumstances this position could have been interesting. The hard line of his lean body is pressed against you…the length of him against the curve of your bottom.

At least someone is having a good time. 

Even like this from behind, you can tell it’s something to be reckoned with. The thought fills you with an inconvenient bloom of heat, your body betraying you while skipping into the darkness with a song. Your own reaction to him almost makes you angrier than his own actions.

“What the fuck, John?” You strain against him again, naturally, to no avail. He doesn't taunt you, just holds you immobile, and you are a butterfly against a hurricane. 

“Calm down.” 

“Then let me go.” 

You feel him breathe in the scent of your hair behind your ear, before releasing a shuddering sigh.

“We’re in a predicament, y/n.”

“No shit.”

“I think after what you saw...you know I can't let you go.” 

Oh, what's a little quadruple homicide between friends? 

You have the sense to keep this to yourself, at least.

“I won't say anything.” 

“Uh huh.”

“I didn't say anything about the guys in the van.” 

“Well, you didn't have any real evidence then. Just suspicion.” 

“But...you so killed those guys in the van.” 

There’s a long pause before he finally admits, “Yeah.”

You’re not sure why that makes you try to struggle again. It’s just as fruitless as before.

“Who were those guys you killed?” 

You are met with silence. “In Venice?”

Jesus, do you actually have to clarify with this man?

“They were not nice people, y/n.”

“I gathered that. But... who were they?” 

John sighs against you, and you take some heart as you feel his grip loosen slightly so he’s not absolutely crushing you. “They were enforcers for the Camorra crime syndicate.”

“And...why did they have such a problem with you?” 

“Bad blood, from an old job I did in Rome.”

A job. You’ve seen enough movies to know what that means. He really was a hitman. Jesus H Christ.

“You thought they wouldn't want revenge, if you went back to Italy?” 

“I had to risk it.” 

“Did you?” 

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

You’re baiting him, but you just can’t help it. You’re angry, and you’re sore, and he’s pinning you down like you’re just a feather and you do not fucking like it.

You feel him growl behind you, and fuck you if the low vibration does not strike some primal cord in your body, something left over from the time when your ancestors still lived in caves.

He moves so fast you have no chance to take advantage, turning you so that you are laying chest to chest. His erection presses into your hip, and he pins you with those beautiful dark eyes boring down into yours. It takes every iota of self-control you possess not to spread your legs so that he can settle into the cradle of your hips, where you fear he would fit so very well. 

He traps your small hands above your head with just one of his, using the other to hold the side of your face, keeping your attention on him. You shouldn’t. You really shouldn’t, but you are finding you like it when he touches you like this, like he is your master and you are his pretty little doll to manipulate how he pleases.

Your eyes close, just for a moment, before you force yourself to keep them open. Keep your eye on the danger, a voice in your head tells you. 

A less helpful voice suggests that you just give in and let him fuck you silly. 

You ignore that one, for now. 

“Because,” he grouses with a scowl. “I was afraid you’d meet some handsome dipshit your own age, and…move to fucking Argentina!”

You don’t know where you get the pluck to frown back up at him. This poor, dear, deranged man.

“John…”

Do you know how crazy you sound?

You don't dare say it out loud. 

Maybe it would have been smart to try to win points by assuring him you were coming back to him. It was even 100 percent the truth at the time. But something spiteful in you doesn’t want to offer him that declaration now. You feel like he lost his right to it.

That laser-like stare shifts from your eyes to your mouth, a moment before descending to press his lips to yours. His lips are soft, but the kiss is nothing less than possessive. Even so, you have to fight not to let him lull you with his clever mouth and the tantalizing slide of his tongue. 

A fresh wave of anger hits you, because you want this. You want him, and he could have had you so easily, without having to…what? Stalk you? Take you?

You realize you don't even know where you are. 

All this accumulates in you in the matter of a second, and you express this frustration by clamping his lip between your teeth. It's more a warning, than anything. You do not draw blood, but you bite hard enough to make him pause. 

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.” It’s almost funny, the way he sounds talking around his lip in your teeth. Yet somehow, he still manages to sound absolutely menacing.

“Or what?” you challenge. “Are you going to hurt me, John?”

Yes, taunt the man you saw kill four people easy as pouring a bowl of cereal.

“No. But I will punish you. Remember that, as we go forward.” 

You let him go, thinking on that.

It makes a chill run down your spine.

He tries to kiss you again, but you turn your face away. 

“Please let me up.” 

He is silent and still as the mountain, for long enough that you don’t think he will. You imagine he’s weighing his options, and you know as well as he does that he holds all the cards in his oh-so-capable hands. He could finally take you, like this, and you couldn’t stop him. As fucked up as it is…you’re not even sure you wouldn’t enjoy it, and you battle with yourself not to squirm beneath him in this fucked up stew of fear, desire, and anticipation.

That will not help your cause, you know.

He surprises the hell out of you when finally he agrees, “I will, if you promise to be calm.”

“I’m cool as a fucking cucumber.”

He ducks to huff a laugh into the bend of your neck. You feel it stir your hair more than hear it. He presses an open-mouthed kiss to your pulse that makes you flush, a spear of longing jetting through you, and you barely manage not to wrap your legs around his narrow hips.

This man. It’s just not fucking fair.

Then he sucks, hard enough to hurt, and you know there will be a bruise.

He’s fucking marking you.

“I’m serious.”

You breathe in as deeply as you can with his solid, delicious weight piled on you, and let it out slow. “I’m good. Please, let me up.”

Though you can tell he’s reluctant to do it, very slowly he shifts his weight from you, rolling onto his back at your side. You sit up, pushing off the covers, and find the room is spinning slightly.

What the fuck did he drug you with?

You look around. The room is painted in dark shades, the ceiling vaulted high. Bookshelves take up the wall behind the bed.  A bank of windows affords a view of the woods beyond. You are up high, the second story, at least.

You recognize these woods, and the feeling of this interior. 

“Are we back in fucking Clear Forks?”

“Yes. We’re safe here.”

You blink down at him. He sounds almost reasonable now, and maybe the fact that he let you up makes you think you can reason with him.

“John…you have to let me go.” 

“Can't.” 

“You have to.” 

He just shakes his head. 

“So...what? You're going to keep me locked up here forever?” 

He licks his lips, pressing them in thought as he choses his next words. “Until... we've reached an understanding. That might take a while.” 

You stare down at him, open mouthed.

“John...you can't just keep me here.” 

“I can, actually.” He just looks at you with his hands behind his head, resembling for all the world a lazy lion on the plain, deadly but at ease like it's not your entire life he's casually high jacking for his own gratification. Then strangely he looks away, as though he actually is embarrassed about something, letting out a slow breath. “And...I want to.” 

“What?”

His gaze returns to yours, his glittering black eyes sharp and as obsidian. “I. Want. You. To stay here with me. I need you.” 

God damn if hearing him say those words doesn't make your traitor of a heart go pitter pat pat.

Keeping your eyes on him as though you are in bed with a tiger, you slide off the edge, your legs jelly beneath you. How long have you been out? What did he drug you with? Your mouth is so dry. Maybe you should be grateful he didn’t hit you to knock you out, at least. That’s never so nice and neat as it is in the movies.  

You're still wearing your same little pink sundress from Italy, which maybe is a little heartening, not that it provides much protection. 

Your heart in your throat, you want to run mad circles around the room yelling, banging on the windows and rattling the doors. Instead you make yourself stay calm as you look around, checking your options, not caring if John is watching.

You don't care, because deep down, you already know it's hopeless. He's not a stupid man. You inspect the door, finding no door handle, no lock that could be picked. There is simply a keypad and what looks like a fingerprint scanner. You notice it is mounted high over your head, so it would be hard for you to access even if somehow you managed to render him unconscious. 

You knock on the window with your fist, just for the hell of it. 

“Ballistic grade, bullet proof. Good luck.”

He sounds so bored about it, like it's not a big deal that his armored glass stands between you and your freedom. Yet, you doubt the glass was originally for your benefit.

“Bulletproof, in case the Camorra come for you?”

“Them, or others. I’ve made a few enemies over the years.”

You’re not proud that this freaks you out a little.

“And you really think you’re safe here?”

“So far, so good…”

You glare at him over your shoulder, and damn him for looking utterly scrumptious while being such an asshole.

He's wearing a black henley and sweatpants, and he's still the most beautiful man you've ever seen. You could write sonnets about the little strip of pale flesh exposed between his hem and his waistband.

Despite how fit he is, you notice his tummy is just a little soft. It's endlessly endearing, and in different circumstances you would have delighted in pressing your lips to that line of dark hair, and pulling down his sweatpants with your teeth…

You realize you are staring, and with cheeks aflame you avert your gaze. You notice he’s smirking at you, and it makes you mad all over again, your fists clenching at your sides.

He seems to find this amusing as hell.  

“You don’t have to look away,” he coaxes, surprisingly gentle. “I like it, that you like my body.”

You huff indignantly, inevitably remembering how adamantly he’d prevented you from undressing him, what feels like a lifetime ago now. “Then why wouldn’t you let me see you?”

“That was…different.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t think you were ready. I didn’t want to scare you.”

You can’t help but raise an eyebrow at that. “Gee, are your guns that big, Mr. Wick?”

This wins you a small laugh, and only belatedly do you realize how sick it is that you’re joking around with him again.

This is not normal. This is not normal. This is not normal.

You have a feeling it’s going to have to become your new mantra.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he says enigmatically. It makes the hairs stand up all over your body, even as your idiotic nether regions clench with desire at the thought.

You have got to get out of here.

“Aren’t they going to think it’s weird I just disappeared without a trace from the hostel?” you pose.

“Probably not. You collected your things, and you paid in full.”

Of course he’d taken care of that.

Then the scope of this coup really dawns on you. 

“You clever motherfucker. No one will even look for me here, because they think I'm in Europe for weeks more.” 

He lifts an eyebrow at you. 

“You have a filthy fucking mouth, my dear. I'd watch that, if I were you.” 

You narrow your eyes at him, but don't push your luck just yet. 

“But no, no one will be looking for you. Your family and your friends are so busy...”

You close your eyes against his cruel—but perfectly accurate—words. My, how the truth cuts deep.

His tone softens as he tells you, “You don't need them, y/n. You have me. And I promise I'll take care of you.” 

You don’t bother to argue again that you don’t need taking care of. You’re beginning to anticipate his answers, and it’s like arguing with a stone wall.

You’ll need a different tack, you think.

Agitated, you stalk to the next door in the room, flinging it open. It’s a walk-in closet, filled with his clothes, and you realize, clothes for you as well. They’re cute, and to your taste, the bright colors an almost comical contrast to his monochromatic wardrobe. But they’re more expensive than anything you can usually afford. They’re all your size.

Your heart sinks to your feet as you realize this means he’s actually been planning this for a while. 

The next door is half cracked. You push it all the way open.

To say that it's a bathroom seems like an understatement. All dark marble and black cabinetry, there are two sinks and a long countertop, a walk-in rain shower that could fit 6, and a tub that could be mistaken for a small swimming pool. The corners are accented with lush houseplants, ferns and philodendron. It looks wonderful, and you’re furious all over again, because you can't fucking enjoy it like this. 

“Why?” you spit, whirling. Only to start when you find him standing right there behind you. You didn't hear a thing. “Why did you have to do it this way?” With him standing so close, you find your words lose some of their intended venom. 

He crowds you against the doorjamb, lifting a hand to your face again.

“Because I was afraid you wouldn't come back to me.” 

This tall, powerful man sounds ridiculously vulnerable just then. 

But like flipping a switch, he frowns, his long fingers resting lightly around your throat. A chill runs down your spine, and you're sure he can feel your pulse in your neck speeding against his fingers. He doesn’t squeeze, doesn’t hurt you. Just…holds you, and you are ever so aware that you are at his mercy.

“You ran away from me,” he accuses.

Maybe your sense of self-preservation is a little broken.

“I can't imagine why.” You punctuate it with an eyeroll, and suddenly you find yourself pushed into the wall with a hand spread over your chest, the ridges of the jamb biting into your spine. His thumb presses over your lips, preventing you from speaking further. 

“That fucking mouth of yours.” 

Before you can blink he is on you, pressing his lips to yours in a punishing kiss that leaves you weak in the knees. Maybe you start to slump down the wall, but he wraps you up in his arms, holding you up effortlessly. 

“This is how it's going to be,” he pants, his forehead pressed to yours. You get the sense that he is on the verge of losing control, and you are on pins and needles, wanting to know what that would be like, and fearing it too.

You fear it a lot.

“You can run that sassy mouth of yours all you want, but I will enjoy disciplining you for it every time. You might want to start thinking before you speak.”

“You want to hurt me.” 

Tears fill your eyes at the thought of it. Maybe you’re a little broken yourself, after seeing him kill people, but this is the thing that really makes you cry. Of course he probably has some kind of fucking red room around here filled with restraints and whips and toys you've never even fucking heard of… 

“No, baby. I never want to hurt you.” 

You don't believe him in the slightest. 

With a big hand on your jaw he turns your face up to look at him. “Please don't cry.” 

“Then don't do...whatever the fuck this is! You fucking kidnapped me, John!”

“I took what's mine,” he insists in a dark tone that makes inexplicable heat flood between your legs. “You forced my hand.”

It’s all your fault, of course.

“Did you really think I was just going to follow you after all that?”

He cants his head as he looks down at you, his dark hair swinging into his eyes. Your fingers itch to brush it away, and you hate the way the sight pangs deep in your chest. You shouldn’t feel anything for him, after what he’s done—your heart has not gotten the memo, it seems.

“You asked me not to let you go.”

Motherfucker took that literally, it seems.

The ironic thing is, you’d 300 percent meant what you said, at the time.

“I did not sign up for this,” you insist anyway.

“I’ve tried to warn you…since the moment we met,” he tells you. “But you just kept coming back. And now…I need you, y/n. I love you, and I’m never going to let you go.”

What a ridiculous creature you are, that hearing this moves you to the marrow of your bones, makes you almost sick with a medley of triumph and remorse, desire and fear. You’d so determinedly pried open the lid of this Pandora’s box with the dogged insistence of your affection; look at what a marvelous horror you unleashed. Mr. Wick: your very own monster made of dark need and twisted devotion.

This is all so…crazy.

Yet...he doesn't seem like he's crazy. Just absolutely, unmovingly, resolute in his conviction. And right now, that conviction involves his possession of you. 

You close your eyes against his gaze boring a hole through you. Your voice barely lifts above a whisper, your strength suddenly sapped. “I could have loved you.”

It’s a lie, of course.

A lie, because you are already hopelessly, totally in love with this man, despite what he’s done to you, and despite everything you’ve seen him do.

You’ve seen the other side of his coin, you know how sweet and wonderful he can be. Where is that man when you need him? Once upon a time, he absolutely was your safe space, your protector, someone you could turn to when you truly had no one else.

Now, who would protect you, from him?

 It breaks your heart, because you fear the answer is that no one can.  

“You will love me, y/n,” he insists without a hint of doubt. To be so certain...of anything. He brushes your hair behind your ear with such tenderness you could weep.

A single tear does escape from the corner of your eye. He catches it on the pad of his finger, bringing it to his lips. 

“It will be alright, y/n. I've got you.” 

That is exactly what you're afraid of. 

[saras-devotionals]

Quiet Time 9/14

What am I feeling today?

Overwhelmed. There’s so much for me to do this weekend and even just today and I’m not sure how I’ll be able to accomplish it all. I’ve been praying for strength and I hope to be diligent in all I have to do.

Bible Plan: Wisdom in Dating

(I’ve fallen pretty hard for a guy in my church and I’m trying so hard not to get delusional, obsessed, or jealous and I have definitely made improvements from my last interest but it’s still a struggle every day that I have to pray over so to avoid him becoming an idol for me. In the meantime, I’m trying to gather as much wisdom and advice as I can!)

How Do We Deal With Different?

Anyone you date is going to be different from you. They’ll likely have some interests you don’t share and some opinions you might not see eye to eye on. And that’s good news! Why? Because differences can help us discover so much about ourselves and the kind of person we want to spend our life with. But how different is too different?

Dealbreakers

What are your dealbreakers? You know, the things that would instantly shut down your dating relationship? Maybe it’s a differing worldview or some other strongly held belief you can’t get on board with. Or maybe they have a bunch of pet tarantulas, and you’re not willing to be a spider-stepparent.

Dealbreakers are healthy, and we should all have a few. They’re healthy boundaries to help us avoid potential disasters. But they can hold us back. Why? Because it’s possible to have a few too many dealbreakers.

How Selective Should We Be?

We want to have high standards, but how do we know when our standards are too high? The answer is different for everyone. But there are risks at both extremes:

If our standards are too low, we might risk missing red flags, resulting in an unhealthy relationship.

If we set the bar too high, we might sabotage what could otherwise have been a healthy and fruitful relationship.

So what’s the answer? Well, Scripture doesn’t give us an exhaustive list of how to find just the right person. Instead, it offers us wisdom to help us see what matters most.

Can I Date Someone Who Doesn’t Follow Jesus?

God has called us to live differently from the people around us by embracing forgiveness, grace, generosity, and sacrifice. It’s a beautiful and life-giving journey–and it’s even better when you get to share it with someone else who’s pursuing the same high calling. You get to spur each other on in faith, helping each other get closer to God rather than drifting away. So doesn’t it make sense to choose someone to date who shares your desire to be more like Jesus?

What Are Some Other Dealbreakers?

Your values, goals, and personality all play a role in choosing who to date. That means everyone’s list of dealbreakers will look different. So consider what kind of person you want to date, and what factors might get in the way of a healthy long-term relationship. But avoid making the list too long. After all, differences aren’t always bad. In fact, they can be healthy.

God created you with a unique calling, personality, and passion. So what qualities and values in a future partner might complement and amplify those gifts from God?

Challenge: Consider some of your dealbreakers. They should reflect your deeply held values. But remember, keep the list short. This can help you focus on the most important things.

fully committed to Christ (this is in a sense a no brainer! but I want a man who consistently has his quiet times, prays frequently, leads bible studies, serves in the church, shares his faith, and is just an all around good example of a disciple and good leader)

dating to marry (he doesn’t just want to be married and have a wife, but he desires to be a biblical husband.)

wants a family/children (in that same vein, he should be good with children, kind, compassionate, have that fatherly instinct)

higher education (I’m on the last year of my degree and plan to continue on my education in grad school. I want us to be equals in the intellectual sphere so he should have at least a bachelor’s)

Prefer for us to have the same political views (I need someone who shares the same morals and values I do and a lot of that is revealed in politics - even though I really dislike following politics. I just want him well informed but also wise in his choices)

This may be silly but he has to like dogs and cats (I have two cats and a dog and there is absolutely no way I’m ever giving them up. They’re like children to me and I need a partner who equally shares my love for them.)

Colossians 3:1-10 NIV

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

It can be difficult, especially when you’re physically attracted to someone, to put to death lust and desire. I know that I’ve been struggling a bit more with it lately thinking about him but I have to consistently correct myself over it!

God does not at all want us to be in sin, especially if I’m lusting over another disciple. Also, it negates love on my side, I’m not doing that brother or myself any favors by having this desire for him!

Anyways, this is such a solid reminder that we must rid ourselves of all of this since we have been made new in Christ!!

2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

THAT PART! I truly don’t understand how you can identify with being Christian and yet be with someone who doesn’t share those same fundamental beliefs that you revolve your entire life around. It doesn’t make sense to me, you should want to desire to be with someone who is godly and righteous and pursues God more than they pursue you!

Proverbs 27:17 NIV

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

This is not just a good reasons for dating a Christian but also for fellowshipping with other believers! We hold each other accountable and we help each other improve in our walks with God. You should want a partner who is going to sharpen you and encourage you in your relationship and desire to have God be at the center of it all!

[handoverthekawaii]

We Go Together | Homelander x You | Chapter 22

Note: This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

Taglist: @hom3landr @theaudacitytowrite @lover1307

“So is it true?” you ask suddenly.

You’re seated on the sofa in Black Noir’s living room as John scrounges together dinner for the two of you. And it really is scrounging — it is blatantly obvious that John was never taught to operate a microwave, a truth that is simultaneously tragic and funny by virtue of being so fucked up.

Still, you can tell he is making a genuine effort, just like you could tell by the way he laid out clean clothes for you and bundled you up in a blanket before starting on dinner. Even though he hardly knows how, John is doing his best to take special care of you in the aftermath of your captivity.

In the kitchen, John freezes at the sound of your words. After what Vogelbaum had said to you back at the lab, he knew it would only be a matter of time before you asked a question like this. And, frankly, it terrified him because, once he tells you about all the shit he’s done… what if you don’t like him anymore?

John forces himself to take a deep breath before he turns to face you. He made a promise that he would never, EVER, lie to you, no holds barred, flaws and all — and, by God, he is going to abide by it.

“Is what true?” John responds, answering your question with a question.

“Well… Jonah Vogelbaum said you killed a lot people,” you say, seeing John visibly wince at your words. “Is that true?”

The captain of The Seven walks around the kitchen island, enters the living room, and sits down on the couch alongside you. After a long moment he answers, “Yes, it’s true.”

“H-how many?” you ask, your heart rate beginning to pick up as John’s words sink in. What if you escaped one danger just to end up faced with another? And you don’t feel any better when his next words are,

“I have no fucking idea.” At this, John puts his face in his hands. “Too many… way too goddamn many. Sometimes I lose my temper in the heat of the moment, like today… but usually it’s an accident.”

Usually? you think to yourself. There’s a “usual” way he kills people?! Forcing yourself to push down your panicked thoughts until you get all the facts, you ask, “What kind of accident?”

The Supe bows his head silently, eyes shut as he revisits memory after painful memory. After a beat of silence John says, “Like one time, in th-in the Bad Room… I tried to give my teacher a hug, but I… I squeezed too tightly. I broke her spine, and sh-she died.”

“Jesus Christ!” you blurt out. “And none of this was ever made public?”

“Of course not!” answers John with a mirthless laugh. “No matter how many people Vought’s Supes hurt, the company doesn’t fucking care… anything to protect that bottom line.”

It wasn’t just Mom and Dad, you realize now. For decades, Vought’s been covering up the crimes of the company AND its employees. They have been selling the American public on a lie, when all along they cared more about profits than people.

And John might be the best (or worst) example of all — raised in a lab, by people with no conscience, tortured and desensitized to the value of human life. America’s favorite hero, with the potential to become the entire world’s greatest enemy.

But it’s only potential. You see that now, by the way he’s risked life and limb to protect one life — yours. The way he’s tried so hard to make you feel comfortable and safe, and the way he’s sitting next to you now with his head buried into his hands, body shuddering as waves of emotion crash over his shoulders.

“I want to be different, Y/N,” John says now, in a near-whisper. “I don’t want to be that person anymore.”

And with every fiber of your being, you know he’s telling the truth — you believe him. So you outstretch your hand and place it on John’s knee. The Supe lowers his hands and looks over at you, his expression changing rapidly from fearful to hopeful to wistful and back.

“Well, I have good news,” you say. “It’s not too late for you to start over.”

“With you?” John asks, the vulnerability in his voice cutting, like a chainsaw to the heart.

“Yes, with me,” you reply, offering a small smile. “Like you said, we go together, right?” [continued on AO3]

[storiesforthepeople]

The Dismal Empire and the Cult of the Mushroom - A Mini Anthology

PRIMAL

In the beginning, the moon met the ocean, and looked into its depths. In an instant life was brought into being. The fish and the coral, the dolphin and the shark, the world of the living was made in opposites, cursed and blessed in equal measure, the agonist as well as the antagonist, by nature. The moon gazed at what it had created, surrendering no opinion.

Long ago, so that they would have security from roving bandits, the common people decided of their own will to make a pact with the stationary bandits - the first aristocrats. The stationary bandits would govern the common people and see to it that the roving bandits were kept at bay, and in exchange these first aristocrats would receive regular tribute - this is the commoners’ version of our history.

This song is noble and I like it

You and I are not equals

I am indifferent to your kind, yet you have come to hate us

Liberty forms a patina eventually

That’s what you can see

Envy

To be sovereign over oneself, that’s something so rare

A thing you’ll never know

THE EMPIRE POISONED

Misery is a strange thing, those who possess it guard their affliction jealously but also try to induce it in others. This is what we called religion, or dogmatism, or I-have-found-the-one-way. We called it that before it became orthodoxy, that Christian poison.

Belief in the old gods has been abandoned. We have come to know shame for our traditional systems and ways. How did it come to the point where followers of the “Christ” Jesus would lecture citizens on the streets? Where gutter scum would offer us a holy apple so that we too may know original sin?

EVOLUTION

(...) Welcome to the show Sarah, we’ve been hearing reports of a bizarre "mushroom cult". Now Sarah is an expert in heretical religious movements at (…) university. What can you tell us about this group?' 'Thank you for inviting me Dan, I don’t know much more than you about this specific group, although I can say that around the world heretical religious movements are emerging every day. This one seems to be particularly… colourful, marked out by their ritual consumption of psilocybin or "magic" mushrooms and other harmful intoxicants, and their outright rejection of our God given, Christian Law.' 'Is there a risk of violence from this - from movements such as this one?' 'That’s always a possibility Dan, but this group appears to be peaceful, although we are all lacking key information. Certainly they are heretics deserving of public execution’ 'My apologies Sarah, unfortunately that is all the time we have. Thank you for joining us, coming up next…'

In the dark halls and rooms warm from the summer heat the members of the Shrouded Council wander aimlessly, some muttering to themselves, deep in thought and under the effects of varying doses of psilocybin and mescaline. The collective discuss events in solemn voice - the Shrouded Council are deep in reflection. One by one, they wander to the table and sit.

'The government are vulnerable, we need to take action before they decide to.' 'It's too soon, we are.. too weak. Need to.. build our base - target the Emperor, encourage the government to overstep..' 'what do we think, is it time?' Agree, agree, agree, agree, disagree, abstain. 'All those in favor?' …. 'Ok, motion passed. 'Get.. Get in contact with the cells in the Capital.’

[direwombat]

so many wednesdays, so little time

tagged by the beloveds @wrathfulrook, @inafieldofdaisies, @adelaidedrubman, @ivymarquis, and @gaeadene for wip wednesday specifically, and by @river-ward, and @cassietrn for general wip sharing (thank you all so much <3 <3 <3)

tagging: @strafethesesinners, @strangefable, @detectivelokis, @sstewyhosseini, @confidentandgood, @henbased, @voidika, @poetikat, @roofgeese, @vampireninjabunnies-blog, @aceghosts, @purplehairsecretlair, @deputyash, @harmonyowl, @madparadoxum, @euryalex, @clonesupport, @neverthesameneveranother, @trench-rot, @jacobsneed, @josephslittledeputy, @g0dspeeed, @socially-awkward-skeleton, and anyone else wanting to share their wips today! (but as always no pressure <3)

as of checking the poll i made, looks like syb's public speaking is in the lead (by the slimmest of margins), so have some of that :)

Sticking two fingers in her mouth, she whistles loudly to get the room’s attention. All eyes turn to her. “Alright, y’all, we’ve got company inbound,” she says. “At least three trucks — estimated nine to twelve hostiles — en route comin’ in from the south. Likely just as many’re gonna come in from the north. Got maybe another seven left still outside. Now, Grace is keepin’ ‘em busy ‘cross the street, but she ain’t gonna be able to hold ‘em off forever. We also got air support incoming. I ain’t gonna lie, shit’s bad. We’re outgunned and outnumbered.”

The gathered civilians mutter anxiously among themselves. Doubt suddenly casts dark shadows over their faces, causing Sybille’s stomach to knot, but Pastor Jerome gives her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

She takes a deep breath. “But it ain’t hopeless,” she continues, and everyone falls silent. “Now, I want y’all to listen up and listen good ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once. Y’all willin’ to fight, we gonna leave out that back door, okay? After that, buddy up and do not let each other outta your sight. Just like huntin’ or hikin’, alright? Your buddy is. Your. Lifeline. Y’hear me?” 

The civilians nod. 

“Good,” she breathes. “Stick to cover and when that plane comes, get under a roof or awnin’. Key is makin’ yourself as small a target as possible. You get shot? Hide. Don’t get cocky. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Don’t be a hero. There any part of that y’all ain’t like, ain’t nobody gonna judge you for it, okay? Any of y’all wantin’ to stay behind, barricade the doors, head on down to the basement, and wait til someone comes to get you.” She swallows thickly and says, “Everything’ll be just fine. We all clear?”

In a chorus of voices that reminds her of her brief stint as a Staff Sergeant, all present — including Jerome — say, “Yes, ma’am.” 

There were many she served with many who hungered for such authority. So many who went career not out of patriotism but rather lust for power. But she always found issuing orders to be agonizingly unpleasant. She hated having that kind of trust, that kind of loyalty in her hands and the weight of her unit’s lives on her shoulders. 

Still hates it, as it turns out. 

Jesus Christ, she’s gonna get all these people killed and it’s gonna be all her damn fault.  

“Alright then,” she nods, trying to force the lump of dread down her throat and into her stomach where it belongs. “Move out.”

“Yes, ma’am!” they all cry in unison. They gather their weapons and begin to file out the back door of the church. She follows behind them, ensuring she’s the last one out to provide covering fire.

Jerome waits for her by the door, but before she crosses the threshold, he stops her. “These are fully grown men and women, Deputy,” he says quietly. “Their choices are their own.” 

Her eyes go wide and she blinks owlishly at him, her mouth slightly agape. Swallowing thickly, she presses her lips into a tight, firm line and nods. So were the people I was in charge of, she doesn’t say. It don’t make the guilt any less unbearable. 

But there are more pressing issues than arguing about who bears responsibility over whom. Debates of blame and morality are best left to the peacetime philosophers and judges. No, she has a job to do. She can’t allow herself to slip into the same guilt and ruminate on the same ghosts that plagued her in the quiet nights she spent in the hospital before being honorably discharged with a purple heart that she doesn’t deserve. 

No, this is war, and war necessitates action. Movement. 

If she stops, she’s as good as dead. 

Her jaw sets and expression hardens. She looks at Jerome and nods towards the single civilian yet to partner with a buddy. “Get movin’,” she grunts.

[hiswordsarekisses]

“So, he committed adultery. Big deal! It doesn’t mean he murdered his wife. It doesn’t even count in the course of this trial!” The big city lawyer thundered.

But the man had indeed murdered his wife.

And while I agree that adultery doesn’t equal a murder, it did matter in the course of his life. Today, we’re pretty loose about adultery, marriage, divorce, and the covenants of God. But that doesn’t mean God has changed His mind.

In a little book in the back of the Old Testament of Scriprure, God talks to the Priests first, the he tell the people why

they are losing favor with Him, why He won’t accept what they want to give Him. It’s because you’re unfaithful to each other!

One God created you, but you’re unfaithful to each other. Why?! He is a witness to husbands and wives of their youth. God has made you One in the spirit, through

a sacred holy covenant with Him,

in Him a joint spirit.

I feel this the longer I’m married.

We become one flesh through covenant

sexual relations, to bring godly offspring into the world, as a gift to the one we married, as a service made for marriage. That’s why purity and virginity are valuable.

They are part of a sacred covenant.

Do you hear that very often?

I bet not.

Now, most of the time, we read that

“God hates divorce” from this passage.

He does, but the Hebrew text goes

deeper linguistically.

God actually calls divorce a

“hateful thing” in His eyes, that it renders you covered in “violence”, from hurting

the very one you were given to protect!

That’s the true depth.

Here, I think He highlights something we don’t often speak in Christian circles.

The violence of divorce.

The hatred of divorce.

The twisted undone protection that comes in unfaithfulness.

The loss of God’s favor.

The witness of God watching over marriages and seeing a home full of the violence of divorce, the hatefulness of unfaithfulness.

I found it profound and interesting that as God was speaking to a nation, He was sorting out the husbands, who were to be the high priests of their families, and the reality of what unfaithfulness means to our relationship to God. Malachi lived in a culture that divorced wives, just because they wanted a newer model.

God wanted it stopped.

How does God see divorce?

As a hateful violent act against the ones

we are supposed to be protecting.

And God grieves.

Marriage is holy ground.

When Jesus is asked about it while on earth, He says it happens because of

the “hardening of our hearts”.

So, one of the things I think is of utmost importance in a marriage, is to watch

that your heart doesn’t harden against

your mate.

Don’t let bitterness gain a footing.

Keep communication open and fights finished.

Get help when you need to get help.

Invest in each other, and keep a check on your critical attitude.

Should hurtful sarcasm and snarky intimidations stand between you, you are risking a hard heart, a costly adultery

and a hateful divorce.

Violence to your home.

Now, if you were the one who didn’t commit adultery and did not want the divorce, please note that this does not apply ….to you.

You are deeply loved and God will get

you through what’s been done to you.

It likely won’t be in your timing or your way.

It will cost much shame, guilt, anger and pain, because those are part of sin.

But please don’t waste time thinking you are all to blame.

I’m sure the person leaving has hatefully filled you in, as you try and explain to confused children what’s happening,

while you don’t even understand.

I just don’t want us to forget:

Divorce is still a tragedy.

It’s still a terrible sign of hate.

Adultery is still horrendous,

no matter how you rename it, or how fabulous it looks on a movie screen.

That’s a lie. But also know:

Both are also forgivable sins.

If you have come to Christ after a

hateful divorce, God knows.

Keep growing in grace, and make right what you can, then move forward in faith.

God will be faithful to you.

But yes, while I know this is a hot topic,

less debatable and more acceptable

than ever, I’m speaking

to those who are Believers.

I’m saying what God said:

Be on your guard.

Do not be unfaithful to each other.

~AnnStewartPorter

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

During one of the interviews I had with a reporter from a secular news outlet during the opening of the Creation Museum in 2007, I was asked, “What are you really trying to do here? What’s your real motivation?”

I answered: “To stand on the authority of the Word of God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ—to see people saved so that they can be in heaven with us!”

The reporter replied: “So you admit it then?”

“Admit what?” I responded.

He said: “Well, that you’re deliberately trying to get people converted to Christianity.”

“Yes. Absolutely,” was my reply.

The reporter then looked at me and said: “Well, that’s refreshing!” I was somewhat surprised. “Why do you say that?” I inquired. The reporter stated something similar to the following: “I’ve interviewed many Christian leaders who are involved in issues such as creationism, prayer in schools, abortion, and so on.”

He then went on: “When I ask them what their ultimate purpose is in tackling the issues of the day, most would not admit that their involvement had anything to do with Christianity. These leaders usually say it’s because of ‘traditional family values’ or ‘what the Founding Fathers believed’—or something similar.”

The reporter added: “Why don’t they just come right out, as you did, and admit they’re involved because their real motivation is to see Christian thinking permeate the culture and see people saved as you say?”

The account above highlights what I consider to be a major problem in Christendom in general—and it has even greatly contributed (unwittingly in most instances) to the secularization of society and led to an increasing ineffectiveness of the church to impact the culture.

Many Christians have been duped into accepting a false idea: that there is a “neutral” position they can take in regard to social issues, or any issue. Some Christians in the USA even accept the myth that the U.S. Constitution declares that there should be a separation of church and state, and, thus, they don’t want their Christian beliefs to influence politics.

As I’ve stated many times, God’s Word, however, makes it clear that there is no neutral position. Matthew 12:30 states: “He who is not with Me is against Me.” Thus, people walk either in “light” or “darkness.”

When creation, prayer, and Bible readings were by and large eliminated from the public (secular) schools in the West , many people (including some Christians) thought that the system would then be “neutral” or “religion free.” But is it? All you have to do is read the main biology textbooks used in public (secular) schools to see that students are taught how the entire universe and all life can be explained by natural processes! These textbooks promote the religion of “naturalism” which is atheism.

A small minority of people has forced its anti-God religious views on the whole culture, and they have even succeeded in capturing the hearts and minds of children from church homes. Most of today’s youth in our churches attend the secular schools; so, we should not be surprised that most don’t think biblically!

Most Christians simply don’t know how to defend their faith against even “softball” attacks on the Bible. They freeze and avoid talking about the Bible; they don’t want to risk being confronted with tough questions and be forced to attempt a defense of their faith. Churches by and large haven’t equipped them to be ready for such a defense. And sadly, most of the church leaders and church goers have already (wittingly or unwittingly) accepted evolutionary ideas, and this has undermined the authority of the Bible in their own lives. They lack the ability to take on even the most blatantly unbiblical social issues.

God’s people need to be unashamed and uncompromising in their stand on the Bible. Like the apostle Paul, we need to boldly state: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). We need to unashamedly proclaim a Christian worldview and the gospel, all the while giving answers for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15).

The following admonition Paul gave Timothy is just as relevant for each one of us 2,000 years later: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Yes, we need to be equipped to be able to defend the Christian faith and boldly stand on God’s Word unashamedly, so his Word that convicts and saves will be proclaimed.

Now when you do this, be prepared to be mocked by our enemies. But let’s not be ashamed of what God’s Word teaches concerning biblical truths, including the accuracy of the book of Genesis and the doctrines that are found there (e.g., marriage between man and woman, the sanctity of life, origin of sin, creation, etc.).

My prayer is that all of us will be challenged to “not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8).

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (2 Timothy 1:8–14). – Ken Ham

[feedingtheflockministry]

2 Ways to Shipwreck Your Faith

By Jennifer Waddle

“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.” - (1 Timothy 1:18-19 NKJV)

To experience an actual shipwreck would be one of the scariest experiences a person could go through. When we hear of cruise ships being stranded at sea, starting to sink, or having mechanical issues, we hold our breaths until people are safely rescued.

The apostle Paul knew the experience of shipwreck probably better than anyone.

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea…” (2 Corinthians 11:25 NIV)

Three times he was shipwrecked! And yet, he survived to tell the story.

While most of us can only imagine such an ordeal, I’m afraid others of us may end up going through something just as terrible—the shipwreck of faith.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

(Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJV)

There is an interesting line, in 1 Timothy 1:20, that mentions a couple of men by the names of Hymenaeus and Alexander—men to whom Paul “handed over to Satan.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I never want to be “handed over” to Satan! The context of the passage is that Paul recognized two grave things that these men had allowed to happen—two things that basically shipwrecked their faith. When Paul warned Timothy to "fight the good fight with faith and a good conscience,” he was outlining two necessary things for the Christian walk. Unfortunately, Hymenaeus and Alexander had rejected these and been expelled from Paul’s leadership in order that they would learn a hard lesson.

Following the example of these men, here are 2 ways to shipwreck your faith:

1. Reject

In a world where everyone is encouraged to embrace “whatever feels right,” there is an extreme danger of being mislead toward ideas that are contrary to the Scriptures. These ideas plague our culture, our homes, and even our churches. Eventually, they may lead a person to outright reject faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10:16 NKJV)

Belief and the acceptance of Jesus as the only true God is foundational to the Christian faith. Any other ideas that try to distort this truth are ideas that can lead to shipwreck. It is crucial to our faith that we trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not try to add or take away from it.

2. Ignore

When our conscience becomes hardened to the point that we no longer hear or heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, our faith becomes like a splintered ship, tossed against the rocky shore, useless and abandoned.

The Holy Spirit’s role is “God in us.” When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His Spirit comes to reside. He guards, guides, and directs us in the way we should go. Without His navigation, our faith will surely be shipwrecked. It is of utmost importance that we remain in step with Him and listen to His still, small voice.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NKJV)

Paul’s charge to Timothy was to remain strong in the battle, steady on the open seas, and faithful in the Lord. He knew that temptations would come—temptations to reject and ignore the only God and Savior, thereby risking the shipwreck of his faith.

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (1Timothy 4:10 NKJV)

[wolint]

FRESH MANNA

LIBERATED IN CHRIST

Titus 2:14

Freedom! Free! Liberation!

The only truth that can set one free is the truth one accepts.

So many people are convinced that they either know or don’t know the truth for themselves, unfortunately, truth has become personalized narratives and contextualized.

Tolerance has become a virtue in our societies today that makes us believe what we want and believe whatever I want and everyone will be happy. But if everyone did what they wanted, it wouldn’t take long for chaos and anarchy to reign. Which is already happening today. The Bible is clear on the truth according to Isaiah 40:8. But we rather believe a lie even when we discover truth. We are free to ignore truth if we so choose, but we do so at our own risk.

There are babbles of voices surrounding us today, claiming to be the truth, to know the truth and to reveal the truth, but which truth?

Which voice is right?

Which voice is wrong?

Which voices are the voices of truth?

Absolute truth is what is objective, universal, and constant, and is true for everyone, all the times and everywhere. Absolute truth originates from God, who didn’t just create truth, but is truth according to Romans 3:4.

How do we know the truth from the counterfeit if we don’t spend time with God and in His word?

The bible encourages us to study God’s word, yet so many don’t, don’t know how and why because they don’t think they have any reason to.

We are inundated with Christians who have no knowledge or understanding of the truth, meanwhile, they believe anything and everything that tickles them but all of these things will eventually fade away, unlike God’s word according to Psalm 119:160. God’s Word is an extension of God’s truthful character and cannot be changed or twisted.

We don’t all have to go to theology college to know the truth. Mind you, theology is still mans’ teaching of their perceived truth. The Lord says in 1 John 2:20 that we have an Unction from the Holy One: this is refers to the anointing of the Holy Spirit that we as believers receive from God, anointing us with the power that enables us to know and serve God in truth.

The Holy Spirit is our resident teacher and will teach us all truth, what then can man teach us if we do not apply ourselves to the study of the word of truth?

Nobody taught us how to eat and digest our food, we do so because we are hungry, that same hunger or more should drive us to want to study God’s word.

We must interact with the bible, the scriptures and God ’s truth to absorb the truth before it can liberate us, setting us free.

All our quest for the truth must be based in the word of God and fulfilled in Christ and as John 16:13 says “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” It is the Holy Spirit that enlightens our minds and hearts to the truth, not society or ourselves.

Yet, so many have refused and keep resisting the truth. Sometimes people reject the gospel, not because it isn’t true, but because they fear its consequences in their lives.

As we study, we see the truth of the scriptures ourselves because the Holy Spirit opens it up to us, so that we don’t depend on mans’ truth to guide our quest for knowledge and truth.

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit enlightens my mind and heart to your truth and not the babbling lies of the enemy and society in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Shalom

WOMEN OF LIGHT INT. PRAYER MIN.

[filthforfriends]

I'm so worried for him I know it's a tired argument at this point but a part of me is scared that it's no longer weed maybe it is anxiety and etc etc from growing up in an area of high alcohol and drug use and me (clean now for years don't worry for me) and people around me struggling with addiction or related to addicts but his eyes and pupils I know what weed fucking looks like on the eyes it's not cocaine trust me it's not but it's not just weed, maybe alcohol but something in my gut says it's more than just weed and cigarettes

He has lost weight and has aged so much because of the stress from touring and just declining mental health we can see the toll it's taking in real time

He's hiding something, more than just the basic privacy stuff. It's something else, something huge, he is not okay I know it, you know it, we all know it. You can also feel the essence of it in the interactions they all have and the way he's posting and acting something is different I don't know what it is but something is not okay, more than meets the eye type of stuff

Måneskin is NOT alright

They need a freaking break, they just had a tour and now another one? Jesus Christ can't their label give them a proper break? I cannot have another tragic rockstar story™

Not them

Not in 2023

Their label needs to give them a proper break so that they're not going back to back on tours.

Basically what I'm trying to say, something is seriously wrong and it's taking the largest toll on Damiano with his mental health taking the largest hit and his physical health right behind. I say all this with concern and love.

I don’t know that there’s some big secret. Traumatic events can trigger mental health disorders and lord knows being sexually assaulted at least once a month with a thousand cameras watching will do nothing less than effect a person for the rest of their lives. Having no privacy and being publicly ridiculed on a monstrous scale. We know that he has panic disorder and was seeing a therapist long term before Sanremo 2021. He was groomed by 34 year old pedophile at age 17. That relationship last several months. We also know he doesn’t drink. Severally addicted to cigarettes. Recent death of his grandfather seemed like the turning point. The list of risk factors is terrifying.

I come from a family of pill poppers, alcoholics, and the occasional meth user. Everyone smokes. As someone else who gets it, watch this for me and tell me what you think:

The whole performance:

[griefbuilt]

                     Got a secret? Don’t keep it, it’ll take you to the grave.

Good evening, residents of McKinley. If you’ll please find your assigned seats, we have a special treat in store for you tonight. As you take your seats, you’ll notice a placecard in front of you with one simple instruction, “confess thy secrets or sacrifice thy neighbor to earn entry to leave.”. Go on now, look to your left and to your right. Is your secret worth your neighbor’s life? No, no. Don’t try to leave – you can’t. See, we had this planned far ahead. As soon as you took your seats, you were spelled to them until you either sacrificed your neighbor’s life or confessed a dark secret. You didn’t think this was going to be a cheery holiday dinner did you? There’s been far too many secrets and not enough lives falling victim for the abundance of supernatural beings here. One way or another, the night will end in our favor. Secrets or blood spilled - it’s your choice. So? Go on now, confess your secret or sacrifice your neighbor. We’ll be watching.

jesus  fucking  christ  this  couldn’t  be  happening.  this  wasn’t  happening.  why  the  hell  would  anyone  care  about  his  secrets  ?  he  wasn’t  like  klaus  or  bonnie  or  stefan,  wasn’t  the  type  of  person  who  could  have  novels  written  about  them.  he  had  no  earth-shattering  secrets,  nothing  that  bore  some  great  relevance  or  would  have  cataclysmic  consequences.  no,  his  secrets  were  like  him.  pathetic.  largely  ignored.  irrelevant.  so  why  the  hell  had  he  been  roped  into  this  ?  stupid  motherfucking  goddamned  holidays  he  licked  his  lips,  mouth  gone  dry.  one  by  one,  the  table  spilt  their  guts  ----- lest  they  risk  spilling  a  friend’s.   the  rush  of  blood  to  the  head  had  practically  deafened  him  while  dominic  and  lamai  spoke.....by  the  time  it  was  his  turn,  his  heart  was  at  a  thundering  rhythm.  already  so  much  heartbreak,  and  he  was  just  going  to  add  to  it.  was  was  going  to  worry  the  people  he  was  supposed  to  be  strong  for.  look  weak  in  front  of  the  people  he  wanted  to  protect.  but  that  was  the  crux  of  the  issue,  wasn’t  it  ?  he  was  weak.  always  had  been.  he  picked  at  the  skin  of  his  fingers  until  they  bled  (  such  an  ugly  fucking  mess.  they  never  really  healed.  why  did  tyler  want  to  be  with  someone  like  that  ?  ).  probably  not  the  wisest  choice  given  his  present  company.  deep  breath. 

 “  i’ve  tried  to  kill  myself  a  few  times  before,  “  he  admitted.  hopefully  he  sounded  more  composed  than  he  felt.  “ would  probably  be  dead....or  undead  if  some  vampire  blood  didn’t  heal  me  after  i  od’d.  “  but  that  was  only  one  part  of  it,  wasn’t  it  ?  not  the  scary  thing  he  carried  with  him,  that  part  of  him  that  had  been  there  since  childhood  ------  would  be  there  until  death.  “  -i  might  try  to  do  it  again.  i  mean,  i  just...  “  it  wasn’t  a  threat  or  anything.  just  the  way  things  were.  he  was  a  ticking  bomb  or  a  car  teetering  at  the  edge  of  a  cliff.  whatever  was  on  the  precipice  of  something  fiery  and  tragic.  “  -i  still  think  about  it  and  i  don’t  think  that’ll  ever  really  go  away.  bipolar,  ptsd,  anxiety,  whatever  that  shit  is,  it’s  me.  i  don’t  like  it.  i  don’t  want  it.  but  i-  “  what  more  could  he  say  ?  “  -i’m  just......i  can’t.  “  he  forced  his  eyes  shut  for  a  minute.  his  daughter  was  beside  him.  his  boyfriend  beside  her.  but  fuck....he  couldn’t  do  this.  not  now  and  maybe  not  ever.  the  chair  behind  him  clattered  as  he  rose.  “  i  need  a  drink.  “  and  just  like  the  fucking  coward  he  was,  he  fled.  

[jdgo51]

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

Power of the Holy Spirit

Annie McGuire (Missouri, USA)

"I stood in front of you with weakness, fear, and a lot of shaking. My message and my preaching weren’t presented with convincing wise words but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power." - 1 Corinthians 2:3-4 (CEB)

"I spent most of my life being painfully shy and terrified of taking risks. So several years ago, when God called me to be a Bible teacher, I resisted and refused to use my spiritual gift. I wrestled with insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. The thought of stepping out of my comfort zone made my stomach clench with severe anxiety.

God has brought me a long way by demonstrating that God can give me the words to speak and the grace to obey despite my inner turmoil. Opportunities that would have terrified me before don’t intimidate me as much now because God has proven to be faithful. God held my hand as I took small steps of faith and said yes to teaching opportunities. Every time, the Spirit gave me power over my fear and the words to speak.

If God calls us to do something outside our comfort zone, the Holy Spirit will help us. We are vessels for God’s glory. We can trust in the power of the Spirit and step out in faith." Your faith is what carries you through lifts you out of despair and let's you float on the wings of God's Spirit.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Faithful God, remind us to trust in the power of your Spirit within us, and help us to move forward in faith today. In the name of Jesus." Amen

1 Corinthians 2:1-16

1 "When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I didn’t come preaching God’s secrets to you like I was an expert in speech or wisdom. 2 I had made up my mind not to think about anything while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and to preach him as crucified. 3 I stood in front of you with weakness, fear, and a lot of shaking. 4 My message and my preaching weren’t presented with convincing wise words but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 5 I did this so that your faith might not depend on the wisdom of people but on the power of God. 6 What we say is wisdom to people who are mature. It isn’t a wisdom that comes from the present day or from today’s leaders who are being reduced to nothing. 7 We talk about God’s wisdom, which has been hidden as a secret. God determined this wisdom in advance, before time began, for our glory. 8 It is a wisdom that none of the present-day rulers have understood, because if they did understand it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory! 9 But this is precisely what is written: God has prepared things for those who love him that no eye has seen, or ear has heard, or that haven’t crossed the mind of any human being. 10 God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, including the depths of God. 11 Who knows a person’s depths except their own spirit that lives in them? In the same way, no one has known the depths of God except God’s Spirit. 12 We haven’t received the world’s spirit but God’s Spirit so that we can know the things given to us by God. 13 These are the things we are talking about—not with words taught by human wisdom but with words taught by the Spirit—we are interpreting spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But people who are unspiritual don’t accept the things from God’s Spirit. They are foolishness to them and can’t be understood, because they can only be comprehended in a spiritual way. 15 Spiritual people comprehend everything, but they themselves aren’t understood by anyone. 16 Who has known the mind of the Lord, who will advise him? But we have the mind of Christ." Remain in the Spirit and things are always good. Blessings! Joe.

[theigive]

Spirituality has been the central fixation of my human experience.

I started out in the Black Apostolic Pentecostal church.

In college, I had transformative experiences studying and learning among people who practiced or took strong interest in Jewish Mysticism and Christian Gnosticism, the Hebraic roots of Christianity (including Black Hebrew Israelites, Messianic Jews, and Sacred Name believers), a very helpful and insightful Jehovah’s Witness, Nuwabians, and many others.

I gravitated to a more Hebrew culturally appropriated view of Christianity for a while and in my back pocket contemplated the more esoteric ideas of Gnosticism and other wisdom outlooks who utilized more allegory than literalism.

When I had my break from Christianity, I left in summary bc my studies poked too many holes in doctrinal and what I believed was historical information that was essential to my belief, that the fruit of the Spirit was in poor supply among my survey of saints and other Christians (that ended up being bigger a deal than the initial heartbreak of doctrinal fallacy), and the judgment of traditional and conservative Christian based morals seemed more harmful than any form of loving.

The day Jesus Christ was no longer my God in the way that I had grown up believing him to be was the biggest heartbreak of my life. I was on the phone with a friend who I would study at length with when the realization hit me. I fell to the floor and wailed in fetal position broken bc I knew nothing would be the same. This was probably somewhere in 2005. I held on and did mental gymnastics to stay a Christian. 2012, I had become pretty secular far as practice and by 2014/2015 I had pretty much de-converted.

I don’t know when it resonated, but the Sermon on the Mount and the giving of the Great Commandment sunk deeply into my heart. If anything is actually Christian about me for real, it is that I hold the Shema as the most important scripture and is the foundation upon which I attempt to live my life and the basis for any beliefs that I have evolved spiritually.

Hear O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength.

And ye shall love thy neighbor as thyself.

I prefer to translate it: Hear O Israel, YHWH is our God, YHWH alone! You shall love YHWH your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your strength.

And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

And I love the KJV translation of the last part of the Great Commandment when Yeshua Messiah / Jesus Christ says:

“On this hang ye the whole law.”

That was what struck me.

By this time, I’m DEEP in my bible bag. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (aka The Book of Names/Shemot) is the most important commandment in Judaism. I equate Deut. 6:4-5 to be what St. John 3:16 is to most evangelicals and what Acts 2:38 meant to the Black Apostolics of my childhood.

Jesus/Yeshua was a Jew, a Jewish rabbi on top of that. Up until this point in my life, Jesus/Yeshua (and for a period of my journey Yahshua/Yahushua/Yahoshua) was not only a prophet or a religious leader, and even more than identifying him as the Messiah, the Lord and Savior, but the very God that so many of us believe we are connected to or working to connect to or have devoted our lives to his service. Jesus was it for me. Jesus was All for me.

By this time, my break with him being that level of divine had already occurred but that did not remove the magnitude of how important I thought he was to me. So when I finally departed the Christian faith, I kept love with me. The commandment of love was what made it worthwhile to me to what I considered literally risking my seat in heaven for a fiery hell grave…love.

If a commandment, a doctrine, a theology, a point of holy living contradicted love as I knew it, I would break it, forsake, and even become angry at it. Send me to hell if I cannot love.

The Jesus I came to know spent much of his time with people that society and the church continually look down upon and treat as less then. It taught me a lot about myself and my own self righteous attitude.

It lead me to do a full deconstruction of my faith.

That journey has been fascinating and significant. I have entered and traveled to many doors and portals.

I have encountered and experienced much that has shaped me.

So love was my concluding principle I keep from my experience as a Christian.

Some other tidbits I keep that are reflections of my evolution, especially utilizing gifts I obtained during my years of nerding out the bible:

God is a term translated from Semitic terms whose literal definitions are that of “power”, “might”, or “strength”.

Spirit is a term translated from Hebrew, Greek and Latin that all mean “breath” or “wind”.

Every spiritual person I admired, I admired for their Wisdom (Sophia) over their Power / Authority (God).

Every spiritual person I admired was warm, non-judgmental, down to earth, earthy, nature loving, nature living or at least nature leaning.

I concluded that spirituality should be about “breathing” for me. That Power is a resource not something or someone to covet and for me there are no messiahs, no prophets, no pastors, no gurus and no anointed ones. That “no” is a loose “no”, meaning generally speaking. Those who are “chosen” or “anointed” are less identified with the ego of stature and recognition and more by their witness, their impact, their fruit. These kinds of children of light are a lot more unassuming than loudly proclaimed either by themselves or their “following”. They often seem regular degular, blink and you’ll miss them sharing love and good will almost haphazardly along the way.

Thanks to a solid stint with my best bud I got to explore science, humanism, atheism and agnosticism at length. Coming out of Christianity (a very much literalist faith) and being kind of a literal person myself (aka I’m a dumb guy or more nicely put probably on the spectrum somewhere), I struggled to reconcile the things I could learn from evidence based research and experiments and this faith in something bigger and beyond the physical realm that gives me affinities for things that do not jive with science.

Having an atheist for a best friend, very thoughtful, knowledgeable, fun loving, good natured, empathetic atheist was a profound experience. We discussed everything at length and I tuned in to some of his favorite lectures and debates from leading white atheist speakers like Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris. These men might not be my cup of tea, but I took some real things from them that I am happy to keep.

Mainly, a term “Intellectual Honesty” or the ability to admit that one could be wrong or that at least there is yet no empirical evidence for whatever belief one may have. Growing up Christian, especially in a Black church based family, “intellectual honesty” is blasphemy, would probably get me an ass whooping (and has gotten me an ass whooping), and/or potentially kicked out of your family or community to be honest.

Niggas can’t question God or the bible for real.

Anyways, I never identified with atheism, but I do have some atheistic ideologies. I consider myself some form of a theist and held contradictory beliefs now for the last 10 years. Technically, I’m agnostic, but I prefer to identify with believing…probably bc I’m Black and that shit is law for majority of us and that same power of faith still resides in me despite my “intellectual honesties”.

In the last 5 years or so, I became fixated on my health (mostly mental health) as an extension of my spiritual angst and curiosities.

During my bible nerd days another literal definition of a Semitic term resonated with me: “shalom”. Shalom, we all know, means “peace”. “Salaam” is the same from Arabic. Well, while that is an accurate translation of the term, it has a more literal definition in Hebrew and is also translated as “whole”. As in a “whole” stone or a whole number or a whole note in music. The word “shalom” would be the Hebrew term used.

So now we are arriving to where I have come to currently…being whole.

In my bible nerd days, being “whole” meant being balanced and comprehensive. To expand the scope of my spiritual practice from simply worship, service and study, to how I engage my whole life, my whole needs, and my whole health.

It lead me to a healing journey that started in my darkest days during what I like to call “my cane and crutch era”, when the autoimmune conditions I manage were undiagnosed and running wild in my body.

I nearly unalived myself during that period…still working to not do that even now 😬

Anyways, when I was beginning that intense inner work I began to greet, toast and salute one of my friends who got down in that trench with me to help me pull myself out with “wholeness and wellness”. It was how I adopted shalom for myself.

It started in the body and in my practice. Then it moved to mental health, my own personal Normandy Beach Doomsday battle. How to help my heart and mind be whole.

I viewed all this as spiritual in nature.

I’m shortchanging the details now bc well I’m tired of writing but WHOLE is where I landed.

Whole or Shalom, also became All and One.

Throughout my journey, beginning with my dear old Gnostic friend, the Oneness of all things, the ALL that is God and the entirety of the universe began to seep into my psyche. How could we all be eternal? Even Christians sometimes teach that the human soul is eternal not only in the future but also from the past before we were conceived even.

A good friend of mine who too journeyed from my Black Apostolic past, illuminated the spiritual understanding of the Big Bang Theory. They simply introduced me to the notion that we are “stardust”. All those studies in Gnosticism, Mysticism, Eastern Thought, New Age thinking and other Wisdom traditions began firing off for me.

Long story short, I have landed comfortably with Omnism. Omni in Latin means “all” as in “omnipotent” means “all powerful”, “omniscient” means “all wise”, and omnipresence is literally “everywhere”.

We are All from One, through One, and to One.

In him we live, we move and we have our being.

The ALL from all of my esoteric and Black consciousness experiences.

Pantheism from Eastern beliefs.

Panentheism.

The Universe.

The Most High.

The Creator.

The One.

All of that began to resonate deeper and deeper over the years.

I am also a secular humanist. I am also still Christian. I am a child of god, of the light, of the day. I am from the beginning. I will be there at the end. I am eternal. I am being. I am becoming. I shall become what I shall become. I will be what I will be. I am who I am.

I am breathing (spirit). I am powerful (god). I am one with all things. I am the image and the likeness of god. I am!!!

Arm, leg, leg, arm, head (ALLAH).

Godbody.

Godhead.

Godly.

God.

G.

Greg.

Gregory.

Give.

ALL are a Path to One.

Ancient Christians did not call their path Christianity. They called it “The Way” or “The Path”.

For I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father, but by me.

I and my Father are One!

I am in the Father and the Father is in me.

Both And/Or.

All.

I am an Omnist. Om 🧘🏿‍♂️. Shal(Om).

All.

One.

Whole.

God.

The Universe.

Spirit (Breath or Wind).

God is Peace. Power is Whole.

I am the son of the Star. Jesus is the light. He is the “light-bearer”. I am stardust. I am a spark of the eternal flame. I am forever and ever. The first and the last. The Alpha and the Omega. I am the One.

The Big Bang is the last piece. It is where I marry science and faith, reality and imagination.

For me, fantasy is necessary as is reality.

Reality without imagination is bleak. Fantasy without reality is delusion.

For me, faith, love, purpose, imagination, creativity, expression, discovery, magic, healing, art, fantasy, make believe, joy, innovation, the mind are all the same thing.

It is the hallmark and defining characteristic of what it means to BE as a human. It is what connects us, develops our empathy, gives such exceptional talent and ability to impact our environment.

It is the birthright of humanity. Harmony, connection, co-existence (not uniformity).

I accept and embrace it all.

For we are but the chaos and violent debris of a collapsing star, forever expanding into the abyss and one day we became aware of ourselves and sought to make our short time in this vast universe worth while.

Asé

[shammah8]

"…in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God."

John 16:2b

WHY PERSECUTION AND MARTYRDOM?

Today we begin a two-part look at the testimony of a terrorist persecutor named Maulana who ultimately gave his life to Christ and became a Christian missionary:

I was born in a Muslim family in a small town of Demak, central Java, Indonesia. My family was very strict in following Islamic Sharia laws. As a Muslim, I read a lot of the Koran, Hadits, the sayings of the prophet Mohammed, and all the other books that help me be a devoted Muslim.

I started to learn about a famous international Muslim named Ayatollah Komeini from Iran. I welcome Ayatollah Khomeini’s ideas and his call to revolution to all Muslims because it will be very nice to have Islamic Sharia law applied in our society. That would arrange all ways of life in this country according to the truth of the Koran. I don’t like the West because their lifestyle has affected the Eastern lifestyle, young people dress like those in the West, which is so far from Islamic propriety. I hate that.

And this has also caused me to hate tourists who come to Indonesia. They bring Western lifestyle and can’t be a role model for us in Islam. I see Christians as hindering Sharia teaching in Indonesia. Indonesia must be cleansed from the cross. It’s a must! Sharia must happen in civil society. The Christians worship Jesus, who is merely a man. For us this is sin, and we must stop this movement through churches.

The Indonesian government is committed to freedom of religion, as stated in our national constitution. But for Muslims this is not good. It will not bring any good to the country’s future. Because we do not get support from the government, we take law into our own hands. We attack churches; we shoot pastors while they are preaching to cause fear. We do it because the government does not back us up, so we do it by ourselves. We do not fear death because we were encouraged by Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini to spill our blood to the last drop to make this happen.

Remember the bombing in Bali? That was a combined expression of our frustration and our goal. Calling us terrorists is a big mistake, because we’re just Muslim God lovers. The government supports Eastern Indonesia and the islands to be Christian, and is actually hindering us from teaching or implementing Sharia law there. So we devised secret plans to bring about Sharia law in Eastern Indonesia. I was one of the first 5,000 soldiers sent from east Java on a ship to the island of Ambon. En route from Surabaya to Ambon, we hijacked the ship in Solo. We searched the ship and checked each passenger’s identity. Anyone with a Christian ID was either killed or thrown into the ocean. And together our group took over the ship and headed for Ambon Island to eliminate the church of Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow the change that comes to Maulana’s life when he meets Jesus.

Response

Today I understand that it is Jesus in me which prompts persecution and martyrdom.

Prayer

Pray for Christians in conflict zones like Indonesia who risk their lives living for Jesus.

© 2013 Open Doors International. Used by permission.